Astilbe plant named ‘Whiteberry’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named ‘Whiteberry’, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and mounding plant habit; strong and durable leaves; freely and uniformly flowering habit; white-colored flowers on strong greyed orange-colored peduncles; and good container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Astilbe arendsii X Astilbe japonica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘WHITEBERRY’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe, botanically known as Astilbe arendsii X Astilbe japonica and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Whiteberry’.

The new Astilbe plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform and freely flowering Astilbe plants with attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Astilbe plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2010 in Haarlem, The Netherlands, of an unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed Astilbe japonica seedling selection, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Astilbe plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Haarlem, The Netherlands in 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Astilbe plant by vegetative divisions in a controlled nursery environment in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands since the summer of 2013, has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Astilbe have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Whiteberry’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Whiteberry’ as a new and distinct Astilbe plant:

-   -   1. Compact, broadly upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Strong and durable leaves.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. White-colored flowers on strong greyed orange-colored         peduncles.     -   5. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Astilbe differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant height and flowering habit as plants of the new Astilbe are more compact and more freely flowering than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to plants of Astilbe japonica ‘Washington’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Astilbe and ‘Washington’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe are more compact than plants of         ‘Washington’.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe have better container performance         than plants of ‘Washington’.     -   3. Plants of the new Astilbe are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Washington’.     -   4. Plants of the new Astilbe and ‘Washington’ differ in peduncle         color as plants of ‘Washington’ have green-colored peduncles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Astilbe plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Astilbe plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Whiteberry’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Whiteberry’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer and early autumn in 21-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Haarlem, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Astilbe production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 18° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe arendsii X Astilbe japonica     ‘Whiteberry’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling             selection, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe japonica seedling             selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; brownish in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,             broadly upright and mounding plant form with inflorescences             held above the foliar plane; flowering stems and leaves             basal; freely flowering with numerous basal branches             developing per plant, dense and bushy; low vigor to             moderately vigorous growth habit; and freely and uniformly             flowering habit.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate; from divisions, about 10 months are             required to produce fully-grown flowering plants in             containers.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of foliar plane).—About 19.6             cm.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About             22.3 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 37.3 cm.         -   Stem description.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Luster: Glossy. Color,             developing: Close to 146B tinged with close to 199A. Color,             developed: Close to 146C strongly tinged with close to 175B             to 175C; at the internodes, close to between 175B and 178A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; biternately compound; about 17             leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length (excluding petiole).—About 14.6 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 15.6 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 4.1 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Leaflet shape.—Elliptic.         -   Leaflet apex.—Abruptly acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Short attenuate to rounded.         -   Leaflet margin.—Biserrate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely             pubescent.         -   Leaflet luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately glossy.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to             137A. Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to between             137B and 146A. Fully expanded leaflets, upper surface:             Darker than between 139B and 147A; venation, close to 152A,             proximally, close to 183A. Fully expanded leaflets, lower             surface: Close to NN137B; venation, close to 148D,             proximally, close to 184B.         -   Leaf petiole length.—About 7.6 cm.         -   Leaf petiole diameter.—About 2.5 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole length.—About 6 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole width.—About 1 mm.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole luster, upper and lower             surfaces.—Glossy.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole color, upper surface.—Close to 152B             tinged with close to 180A.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole color, lower surface.—Close to             N148A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate flowers             arranged on terminal compound panicles; flowers face             upright, outward or downward depending on position on the             inflorescence; panicles roughly conical in shape; freely and             uniformly flowering habit with about 1,600 flowers             developing per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Moderately faint; sweet and pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about seven             weeks after planting; continuously flowering from late             spring throughout the summer in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the             plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Globular. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster: Matte.             Color: Close to 145B to 145C.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 17.2 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 9.1 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7.5 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3.5 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 3.5 mm. Lobe width: About 0.5 mm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Narrowly cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Luster, upper and lower surfaces: Matte. Color:             Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             NN155D. Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to NN155D; color does not change with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five, occasionally             six, in a single whorl, fused towards the base forming a             campanulate-shaped calyx. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About             1.5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate, fused.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Luster, upper and lower surfaces: Matte. Color:             Developing sepals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             NN155A; distally, close to 145D. Fully expanded sepals,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 157C; distally, close to             145D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 17.2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Moderately             pubescent. Luster: Moderately glossy. Color: Close to 176A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 40° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Sparsely to moderately pubescent. Luster: Matte.             Color: Close to 157D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             ten; anthers basifixed. Filament length: About 2 mm.             Filament color: Close to NN155A. Anther shape: Broadly             ovate. Anther length: About 0.3 mm. Anther diameter: About             0.2 mm. Anther color: Close to 155A. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             Two. Pistil length: About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped.             Stigma color: Close to 150D. Style length: About 1 mm. Style             color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to 145C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Astilbe to date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and high     temperatures of about 35° C. Additionally, plants of the new Astilbe     have been observed to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Astilbe plant named ‘Whiteberry’ as illustrated and described. 